Heavy metal accumulation in certain marine animals along the East Coast of Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India

Heavy metals disposed through anthropogenic activities find their way into the oceans and seas through the rivers or through direct fallout from factory effluents. These heavy metals resuspend back into the water column along with the sediments and are known to affect the marine animals. Marine animals like fish, prawn, crab and mussel were collected along the East Coast (off Pulicat lake to Chennai Harbour) to evaluate trace metal concentrations in various tissues. The above specimens accumulated heavy metals such as Zn, Pb, Cu, Co, Cr Ni and Cd. Fish, prawn, crab and mussel revealed higher concentration of heavy metals such as Zn, Pb, Cr, Co, Cu and Ni and Cd in low levels. The results revealed that the heavy metal concentrations in the marine animals are below the threshold levels associated with the toxicological effects and the regulatory limits. The bioconcentration factors revealed that the animals have accumulated heavy metals along the food chain rather than from the water column and sediment.